OBX Wind brings hundreds of windsurfers to Avon

November 4, 2024 | Island Features | By: Jack Danz

Vincent Lindauer and Denis Dirin round the outer mark during OBX Wind’s long-distance race. By Jack Danz

More than one hundred windsurfers raised their sails behind the start line at OBX Wind’s 12-mile long-distance race. From the safety boat on the Avon Reef, the colorful sails dotted the silhouette of Hatteras Island. A jetski ran down the start line.

The committee boat throws beers to racers during OBX Wind’s light-wind beer race. By Jack Danz

The race was on.

Last week, Ocean Air Sports hosted OBX Wind, a week-long windsurfing event open to amateurs and professionals. Windsurfers came from around the world to compete in long-distance, slalom, and light-wind competitions.

Ocean Air also hosted a gear swap, expert talks, a beach bonfire, a Halloween party, a raffle, and an awards ceremony with trophy presentation.

Attendees battled light winds throughout the week, rainy conditions on Sunday afternoon, and a dearth of beer during the light-wind fun-for-all beer races before an unknown hero bought 200 more at Breeze Thru.

“This is the windsurfing event of the year,” said Gabby Cloutier, who finished in second place in the women’s long distance open division and planned the last six months around attending this event.

Windsurfing had lost some popularity, in part due to the increased popularity of kiteboarding, but OBX Wind is helping to change that by including windsurfers of all skills, said Mike Burns, the North American brand manager for Severne Windsurfing, who organizes the event with his wife, Chrissy.

Mike Burns, OBX Wind organizer and North American brand ambassador for Severne, discusses new technologies at the swap meet. By Jack Danz

“This is ground zero for the rebirth of windsurfing,” Burns said.

Advancement in gear, which is lighter and more durable, and the introduction of windsurf foiling, which allows sailors to session in lighter winds, are also helping to repopularize windsurfing, Burns said.

In April 2016, Burns, Brian Klauser, the owner of Ocean Air Sports, and JR Wilhelmy, the owner of Makani Fins, began planning the first OBX Wind race while drinking beer in a hot tub. Although they only expected 20 people, 120 people signed up for that first race.

Since then, the event has changed from an impromptu long-distance race into a week-long windsurfing extravaganza and the largest windsurfing event in the Western Hemisphere.

“This is definitely going to be something,” Burns said, thinking back to that first race. “People want to do it, and it’s all about making it accessible.”

Race organizers attempted to run the long-distance race on a rainy Sunday afternoon, because the wind forecast looked light for the rest of the week. But the wind didn’t cooperate, and the race was moved to Monday.

Both long-distance races and all four slalom races took place on Monday. The wind remained low for the rest of the week, but there was just enough to hold the light-wind beer races on Tuesday.

More than 170 competitors signed up for this year’s OBX Wind, and many more showed up to help out and cheer them on.

Racers line up at the start line before OBX Wind’s long distance race. By Jack Danz

“It’s cool to sail with this many people and rub shoulders with so many good sailors,” said Jim Karmolinski, who’s attended OBX Wind for four consecutive years and raced in both long-distance races this year.

At the raffle on Thursday, windsurfing brands, Dutone, Goya, North, and Severne, raffled off windsurfing equipment, including a new board from Goya and new sails from Duotone, Goya, and North.

One attendee won an all-inclusive trip to La Venta in the raffle with free accommodations, windsurfing rentals, and an open bar.

At the awards ceremony, “Techno” Mike Marotta won the coveted “Best Most Stoke Award” for his help setting up races and events and maintaining a high level of enthusiasm throughout the week.

“The most fun was the light wind beer race with the right mix of racing, fun, and a few beers,” Klauser said. “Throw in a massive raffle, a swap meet, tech talks and gear demos from manufactures and reps, an epic Halloween party, and wind it down with the awards ceremony at Ocean Air Sport, well, it was one for the record books for fun and stoke.”